Our UP NORTH spring break escape...

Unfortunately, due to Baby D being in utereo and giving us some pre-term contractions, we could not getaway for Cole's spring break to a place where warm breezes blow. So we decided to get out of town a little closer to home and head UP NORTH (as they say here in Minnesota). We left after school/work on a Thursday evening for the drive up to a resort on Lake Superior, Blue Fin Bay. We rented a 2 story condo right on the lake that was dog friendly. As we pulled up around 10pm, the stars greeted us with a dazzling sky. It was cold and there was quite a bit of snow for late March. The condo was a wee worn but absolutely fine for a few days as we were simply excited for the change of scenery. Cole's room had a cool loft and our room had a beautiful view of the vast lake. The rocks lining the lakeshore were caked in layers of blue ice and the water crashed in waves and sounded like the ocean. We walked the perimeter of the resort property poking around the first day under sunny but single digit skies. The boys went and explored while I got some pampering at the resort spa. We played games and cards and just enjoyed being away from the routine. On Day 2, we drove up to Grand Marais about 30 miles north and had lunch at a local brew pub and shopped in a cool trading post style store. Dave and Cole spent some time in the sauna/hot tub and pool later that afternoon. We made cookies and found a rustic lodge to enjoy dinner at. On Day 3, the boys went snowshoeing and I enjoyed some quiet time and a long walk with Tucker. Later on, Cole and I headed to the pool after some Easter decorating in the resort's activity center. We headed to Lutsen's ski mountain lodge for dinner that evening and vowed to return to ski in the years to come. Lots of trails and autumnal activities, it would nice to come back with bebe over October's school break.

Getting ready for Bebe D...

We have been busy here at Casa Denham getting ready for Bebe D's late spring arrival. Dave worked his magic on the nursery walls and armoire while I continued shaping my vision of it. I should be done putting it together and its finishing touches on over the next few weeks. My gal pals threw a shower for me last week so I have a ton of fun things to place around bebe's room.

Cole has been readying himself for big brother status with lots of belly hugs and talking/whispering to bebe. He has written about his soon-to-be sibling in his school journal and created several drawings as well. We have been reading lots of books from the library about life with a baby. Cole has asked a bunch of questions and I answer them the best I can. He still has quite a few concerns about me and the hospital stay since the few times I have had medical/surgery issues, his mommy hasn't felt so well afterwards. :-(

Cole can't wait to teach the baby how to do lots of things (though he was worried about his toys since they aren't baby safe) so we explained what baby gates are used for. :-) He has also begun a bebe countdown calendar of sorts though at this time they haven't scheduled my c-section. They would prefer I go into labor on my own initially without getting too far along in that process but Cole still wanted to countdown so we chose May 30th, a week before my actual due date since my c-section will probably be in/around that day. He has been keeping track and as we inch closer and closer, you can definitely feel his excitement grow. He repeatedly has talked about how our family will go from four to five (since we consider Tucker a family member) which I absolutely love knowing he is comprehending. I know he will be a proud big brother and I can't wait myself to watch him take over a new role within our family.

Here is one of his drawings. That is me in the hospital bed and him holding the baby. It says "I am so ik sid thedatmy mom is haveing a baby" :-)

Off season news...

Now that Cole can read, he reads EVERYTHING. It has been amazing to watch that "switch" go on for him. He loves to grab the sports section of the newspaper and read the headlines and scores. He is like a sponge and we joke (somewhat seriously) that he would be a terrific sports analyst or reporter some day (though he wants to be both a VIKING and a TWIN player).

Anyway, the off season NFL trade was in the news this week and locally one of our existing VIKINGS player was joining the Seattle SeaHawks. Cole heard the story and immediately replied "hey, don't you remember that Percy Harvin got hurt during the Seattle game, he hurt his ankle?". Of course I didn't remember but Cole was absolutely correct. "Isn't that funny that he is going to play for them now?" he inquired matter-of-factly. I couldn't believe that he so quickly was able to bring up that specific statistic. All I could say in reply was "wow buddy, you know you are correct, you have an amazing memory." Cole shrugged his shoulders and retorted "yeah, I'm good like that".

#2 Gone...

Two weeks after Cole lost his first tooth, his second front bottom tooth came out. This time instead of DURING karate, it fell out in the car AFTER karate. There seems to be a trend here, lol. We knew shortly after the first tooth was lost that the adjacent tooth was losing its footing. No other wigglers currently so it might be awhile until we lose number three.

Karate chop...

Cole had been asking to do karate for some time but in the fall it was soccer and swim and for the early part of the winter it was ski lessons and swim, add in school activities and playdates and our schedule was full to the brim so I've learned to keep him at a maximum of two sports or such each season.

The day that ski lessons ended in late January, Cole inquired about beginning karate. I had already done my research months ago when he began asking so all I had to do was schedule his first trial session. We showed up at the dojo to get his 30-day trial t-shirt and I knew within the first 20 minutes of that first day that he was hooked. He received his gi and white belt after three weeks (once I knew he was continuing to dig it). Every five classes (he goes twice a week)he gets a stripe on his belt. After remaining committed and coming to ten classes he received his second stripe and was permitted to test for his yellow belt. His Sensei (Mary) does a great job teaching and getting the kids to be serious and have fun all rolled into one. He'll begin sparring next month which he is very excited about and test for his orange belt in late April. Below is a video from a recent class.

Karate Class-Winter 2013 from David Denham on Vimeo.

Tooth fairy comes to the Denham house for the first time....

Cole was a late teether so we haven't been surprised that he hadn't lost any teeth yet. He kept asking when he would since many of his friends had lost multiple teeth already. Then one day, he noticed his bottom front tooth slightly wiggling. He was afraid to play with it too much and was all concerned that it would fall out and he would lose it. I could see him checking often with his tongue to see if it was still connected.

One evening while at karate, they were grappling (controlled wrestling) and I suddenly saw Cole's face freeze. He put his hand up to his mouth and sure enough the tooth had come out. He ran over with a huge smile on his face. Luckily, the blood was minimal and I wrapped the tooth in a wet wipe and off he went back to his lesson with a gap in his grin.

He beamed the entire drive home and couldn't wait to write his note to the tooth fairy.

Rockstar in the making...

Cole has taken quite an interest in this season's THE VOICE. We began watching the show towards the end of the fall season and Cole got into it and became an instant fan. He also took a shine to Adam Levine (he liked Cee Lo Greene too but more because of his outlandish outfits and quirky expressions). Anyway, when the ads began after Christmas talking up the winter season with the two new judges, Cole couldn't wait for it to begin. He was even "playing" it with our babysitter. He likes to set up some of his stuffed animals as contestants and he and Kathy take turns as judges offering their criticism.

Well, the evening THE VOICE began, Cole was so excited. He was jumping up and down as the individuals sung with hopes that Adam would turn around. Adam is very particular so he didn't turn around much that night (nor did he very often for those first few episodes). Soon after Cole had me downloading Maroon 5 songs onto his playlist and was singing the lyrics out loud from the back seat of the car on the way to just about anywhere.

He also began "tattooing" his forearms with the ink pad and stamp that his swim lesson place leaves out for the kiddos post-swim. I didn't put two and two together initially and it wasn't until we got home one night and he pulled up his sleeves to show Dave and says "just like Adam" that I realized he was actually emulating his favorite rockstar.

Then one weekend afternoon, he comes upstairs with an astounding replica of Maroon 5's album cover, from memory only! He had seen the cover as he scrolled through his playlist on my IPHONE in past weeks and he went and created his own copy. I was dumb struck.




Then the Grammy Awards were on one Sunday evening and Cole heard that Adam would be singing with Alicia Keys. It was already past his bedtime but he begged us to stay up so he could watch them. It was obvious that he truly really really wanted to see them sing so we let him stay up and he stood fascinated as the duo sang.

Cole knows that THE VOICE is on Monday and Tuesdays and constantly asks on the way home from karate or whatever activity if we will make it home in time. :-) When I update my IPHONE, it shows about 146 "plays" of Maroon 5's song Daylight. You will see the outcome of so many listens below. I have to say as much as I groan that the song stays in my head for days, I love to see him grooving and taking such an interest in music. Enjoy the clip, we certainly have!

Cole with Adam Levine singing Daylight from David Denham on Vimeo.

It has been like a light switch turned on...

We have been so fortunate that Cole was given an amazing kindergarten teacher this year, Ms. Kollodge. After his time spent at Montessori with the best staff, we feel very lucky to have made the transition to our public school system with continuing excellence. Cole LOVES school and everything about it, even his homework (yes, he has homework but it is only 5-10 minutes and is vital to reinforcing what he studied that day). I have had the privilege to volunteer for two hours each week in his classroom and I can say having worked with those students who are struggling that I support homework (even in kindergartner) 100%!

Cole is eager to share with me (most days) each afternoon what he learned or what they did. Since the fall, he mastered his kindergartner sight words and moved on to 1st grade ones; he was folded into an advanced math class in November and he now flies through concepts meant to be learned a year from now.

He has always enjoyed being read too, Dave and I each night got into a routine of reading upwards of three books to him for as long as we can remember and he actually gets upset should it be a late night or for some other reason, books are missed for an evening. We attempted to get him to read to us around the holidays this past year but he would push back and say he was tired or the like. He would pick out familiar words but putting sentences together was still a work in progress for him. Similar to his mom, until he feels confident doing something, he'd rather keep it under wraps. :-)

I'm not sure when but some switch was turned on for him in the past several weeks. Cole literally overnight went from reading his daily "Book in a Bag" hesitantly and with frequent pauses (as he sounded out words silently) to fluid and flowing with inflection and tone. I was wowed and watched his smile grow as he realized he was reading effortlessly. Every since that "switch" turned on, he has been a reading machine. Even unfamiliar words that I think he will need assistance with, he breezes through. Signs, TV banners/ads, newspaper headlines, cereal boxes...you name it, he reads it.

I have always loved books, I have stacks of them bedside and I've grappled with the thought that hard copy editions might be a rarity when his generation raises their own children. With digital technology replacing textbooks and a large percentage of the mediums that the reading public are utilizing now that certainly seems the trend. Hopefully Cole's bookshelves will always hold actual books but as long as he embraces reading and its life long importance to learning and growing no matter what his age, this mom will happy.

Reading His Daily Book in a Bag Homework Assignment from David Denham on Vimeo.

Our little fish (a swim update)...

Cole continues to take swim lessons each session and he thoroughly enjoys them (more the splashing, jumping and underwater antics). However, it is the one activity that he struggles at a bit, it always has been. Typically we have repeated levels several times until he is able to graduate which is totally the way it should be. Swimming is not a skill that should be rushed to learn nor should be one that has exacting parameters based on age or the like. I'd much rather him have a respectful hesitancy in/around the water until he feels confident than an absolutely fearless one. Here are some video updates of his back and front stroke. He is much more comfortable on his back than with coordinating his breathing and strokes while moving along on his front/belly.

Cole Swim Lessons-Winter 2013 from David Denham on Vimeo.

Cole Swim Lessons-Winter 2013-Front Crawl from David Denham on Vimeo.

Start Your Engines...

Dave and Cole have gone to the Monster Truck Jam for the past two years at the Metrodome. This year I tagged along. It had to be one of the coldest nights of the winter and we had to park a significant ways from the stadium. Everyone was bracing against the cold and wishing for the crosswalk lights to hurry up and turn green. Once inside (I had never been to "The Dome") it was quite good people watching as we made our way to our seats. The scent of fuel and dirt filled the air. The various Monster Trucks were lined up on either side of the arena with the jumps and obstacles set up throughout the middle. It was loud already and things hadn't even started. :-) After introductions, the opening "act" were old cars pulling funny trailers or towing odd set-ups (such as toilets). They circle as quick as they can attempting to knock one another off course. The last trailer standing was the winner. It was actually really funny to watch them plow into each other and see things fly. Then the main attraction began. The vibrations from their engines got bebe moving and kicking.

Cole had his ear protectors on and his eyes lit up when his favorite monster trucks did their first round of time trials. Those who make loops or get around the arena super fast or have fancy tricks score more points. Through judging the trucks are slowly eliminated. Some got flat tires, some began leaking fluids, some were just too slow. Amazingly, one of the fastest and most daring of the drivers (Monster Mutt's) was a woman!! Everyone roared when she finished in first place and took off her helmet. Then the freestyle phase started where the drivers went crazy showing their stunts and jumping really high. A lot of the trucks got damaged when landing. Some limped off the course, others continued on trying mightily to hang in there until their time was up. The crowd favorite Grave Digger lost an entire wheel and yet managed to jump and make some impressive moves. Spiderman ended up the winner!

Leaving the stadium was quite the feat as the winds outside had whipped up so strongly that it was causing a vacuum with the doors. It took us nearly 25 minutes to actually make our way to the exit and then force our way against the bone chilling windchill back to Dave's truck. We were exhausted but Cole was happy and the proud owner of a new Monster Truck T-shirt! The Metrodome is slated to be torn down in 2014 for the new Vikings stadium so the boys may have one more year of attending the Monster Jam before it moves to its new digs.

Artist in residence...

Cole has always been quite the artist. When he was a toddler, he loved to paint. As a preschooler, he was more into coloring. This past year, he has been coming home with fantastic drawings in his daily classroom journal. On weekends or after school, he will disappear downstairs to his "art center" and create/cut/glue/shape awesome artwork, bringing them upstairs upon completion to hang on the refrigerator. He is quite prolific and he is very good (I say that not just as his mom but truly because he draws well beyond the level of a typical six year old).

At school a few months back, his teacher contacted me to let me know that a picture he had drawn of his school had been chosen to be included in a permanent banner in the main hallway. He was only one of seven students amidst a few hundred that were selected. Then, this past month, we received word that his self-portrait (an art project that his kindergarten teacher did with them and hung outside their classroom) had been chosen by his principal and a school board member to be showcased at a statewide teacher/educational conference. Not only had his been chosen but the school board wanted to recognize him and the others at its monthly meeting. So, 10 or so of his peers and their teachers met at 6:30 one evening in front of the school board members. They were given certificates and their names were read out loud by Mr. Pollock (Aquila's principal). As parents, we were proud as peacocks. I don't believe Cole had any true grasp of what all the hoopla was about but I hope it reinforced his obvious love of art/creative work. In today's age where the arts are rarely taught as a separate subject anymore, I applaud his teacher and his school for incorporating art appreciation into the kid's everyday lessons. I hope Cole continues to enjoy bringing his imagination to life on paper. With all the tech gadgets that invade their worlds these days, ensuring they have other outlets to feed their development is a must!

My ski bum...

Cole started ski lessons before the holidays. The day of his first lesson, 10 inches of snow had just fallen which was grand! It wasn't too cold and he was raring to go, except he had never been on skis and you can't run on skis despite him very much wanting too. :-) All geared up and locked in, he quickly got frustrated when he realized he couldn't move fast without slipping backwards. He likes to be "first" in line which just wasn't happening. After numerous spills where he tried in vain to stand up, he finally began to figure things out. Slowly over the past several lessons, he has gained more confidence (and balance). He has just enough "fear" to keep him from going straight down like some of his classmates but he certainly keeps his zig-zagging tight. It has been a cold few weeks and his cheeks are rosy as cherries when he finishes up. He likes to enjoy lunch in the lodge afterwards and has fallen asleep on the way home every Sunday. :-) It is quite the commitment (for all of us) to get him up to Elm Creek, into rental equipment and up to the slope but it has been fun watching him learn something new. Hopefully each year moving forward he will want to go back, it would be fun to ski as a family (preferably in the Rocky Mountains) someday!

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Another Vikings post...

I have posted several times now about Cole's continued and growing LOVE of everything Vikings! He was more thrilled with his Vikings calendar and drinking cup than with most of the other gifts he got for Christmas, lol! Over the past month, he memorized the Vikings fight song and I have heard him singing it or humming the tune morning, noon and night! Cole had high hopes that the Vikings would go all the way to the Super Bowl and when they lost in the playoffs, he was disappointed. He has chosen his team pick for next week though so he wasn't crushed by our home team's loss too much. He has taken to "reading" the Sunday sports page and recently cut out the full page picture of Adrian Peterson, who was named MVP for the regular season and hung it on his wall. His other favorite player is Christian Ponder, #7. He drew a picture of them both which Dave and I were quite impressed by. We love the attitude Cole has taken, "they tried hard, maybe they'll get to the Super Bowl next year!" Maybe indeed!